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Due to the split of Daimler into two independent companies on 1 December 2021, Daimler has transferred historic Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles and parts of its truck and bus archive to a new location in Wörth.

A convoy of low-loaders and historic trucks and buses travelled from Stuttgart to the Application Information Centre (BIC) of the Mercedes-Benz truck plant in Worth am Rhein. 

The historic trucks included a Mercedes-Benz LP 333 from 1960 (known as a ‘millipede’ because of its twin steer axles) and a Mercedes-Benz LP 608 which was the first truck produced at the then-new Wörth plant in 1965. 

Daimler Truck’s collection encompasses around 130 vehicles, of which about 30 were previously located in Stuttgart and the surrounding area. This collection also includes powertrains, parts and accessories from the company’s 125-year history. 

The archives of Daimler Truck fille more than 2000 metres of shelves on several levels. The archival material includes 2600 rolls of film and 600 magnetic tapes that contain over 1000 hours of historic moving images.

Sven Gräble, Head of Operations for Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ global production network, welcomed the convoy when it arrived at the Wörth location. 

“Although Daimler Truck will go its own way in the future, we and the car and van colleagues will continue to share a history full of pioneering spirit, a wealth of ideas and the courage to strike out in new directions,” he said. 

“I am delighted that we have found a new home for our historic commercial vehicles at our truck and bus plants. 

“These wheeled witnesses to times past represent Daimler Truck’s 125-year history. 

“In the future, they will be located right next to the manufacturing facilities for our future products.”

The world famous Mercedes-Benz Museum will remain the venue for the company’s shared history, including trucks and buses. The Group analogue archive for company-wide topics prior to the separation will remain in Stuttgart, along with the archive for cars and vans.

The oldest collector’s item from Daimler Truck is an original Daimler Motor-Lastwagen from 1898. Another highlight is a replica of the first Daimler Motor-Lastwagen from 1896. 

The fastest exhibit is an Atego racing truck, built in 2000. It has 1500hp on tap and a top speed of 200 kilometres per hour. In addition to exhibits from the early days of commercial vehicle production, the collection also contains various future-oriented concept vehicles.

The digital archive can be accessed by historians, media representatives and other interested individuals. The digital collections concerning Daimler history that are of an overarching nature or that cannot be specifically attributed to one or the other company will be accessible through both of the two companies.

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